Commanding Jewel to carry Spring form into the Autumn

Trainer Leon Corstens is fully expecting his top line filly Commanding Jewel to carry on in the Autumn where she left off in the Spring with a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.

Commanding Jewel has been back in work two weeks and Corstens said that he has plenty of horse to work with leading into the Autumn Carnival.

“She looks a hell of a lot stronger than what she was, I reckon she’s put on between 30 or 40 kilos,” Corstens said.

“She’s been back in work about two weeks now, she looks absolutely terrific and I couldn’t be happier with her.”

Corstens will kick off the Commands filly campaign with a 1200m race in Melbourne before heading to Sydney with a possible start in the Group 1 $2m Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 20 on the cards.

But the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 23 is firmly on the agenda for the three quarter sister to Mark Kavanagh’s undefeated top class mare Atlantic Jewel.

“I’d like to aim her at a race like the Coolmore and we’ll nominate her for the Doncaster but she’d have to be going well enough to have a crack at that,” Corstens said.

“I’ll just wait and see what’s around at the time, a nice 1100 or 1200 metre race would suit her first up in Melbourne.”

Commanding Jewel had no trouble living up to big sisters reputation and aided by a superb ride by Damien Oliver, was able to score a two and three quarter lengths win over Dear Demi in the Thousand Guineas, taking her overall prizemoney above $400,000.

The Clarry Conners trained Dear Demi then went on to confirm the form by taking out the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 8.

Author: Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.